Iran’s Government Has No Program to Prevent Unprecedented Spread of Coronavirus

The escalating curve of COVID-19 in Iran is far steeper than the curve of the third peak. No city is safe. According to a physician, the government, out of desperation, has resorted to testing a domestic vaccine on homeless people and street sweepers.

COVID-19 is wreaking havoc in Iran. Scattered reports from Tehran and provincial cities indicate the rapid spread of the pandemic across the country and the authorities’ inability to confront it.

The crisis has become so severe that in Tehran it has been announced that due to the high number of coronavirus patients, there are not enough beds and personnel for non-emergency operations, and treatment of individuals without acute illness is considered a secondary priority.

A similar situation prevails in provincial centers. One employee of a social security hospital in one of the deprived provinces told Deutsche Welle that the hospital’s situation is critical and a large number of patients, even those with positive COVID-19 tests, have not been admitted.

According to him, part of the medical staff in this city received the first dose of vaccine about three weeks ago and are still waiting to receive the second dose. There is a high probability that the first dose will become ineffective after three weeks.

A Lorestan resident who recently lost a close relative due to COVID-19 told Deutsche Welle: “The situation is chaotic. The government closes shops without helping shopkeepers and has presented no specific program to fight coronavirus so far.”

According to him, some high-ranking officials at medical centers “through favoritism have even vaccinated their spouse’s family members, but many nurses are deprived of this right.”

A physician from Khuzestan reported a crisis in many hospitals in this province and told Deutsche Welle: “Perhaps someone in Germany would not believe that our Ministry of Health, out of desperation, is testing domestic vaccine on homeless people, hoping that hopefully it will be safe!”

This physician, while stating that “people have no hope for government assistance to fight coronavirus,” said: “The government has actually failed in the face of coronavirus.”

According to data from the Health Ministry spokesperson, from April 8-9 (18-19 Farvardin), “based on definitive diagnostic criteria,” 22,586 new patients were added to the COVID-19 statistics, of whom 2,493 were hospitalized.

Sima Sadat Lari said the total number of COVID-19 patients in the country has reached 2,006,934.

She also stated that in the past 24 hours, 185 coronavirus patients died, bringing the total number of deaths from this disease to 63,884.

Record hospitalizations in Tehran

On April 8 (19 Farvardin), the Deputy of Treatment at Tehran University of Medical Sciences announced that the daily statistics of hospitalized coronavirus patients in Tehran province hospitals have reached a new record.

According to Farshad Alameh, elective surgical operations in Tehran hospitals have also been suspended and new sections have been allocated to COVID-19. He emphasized that the same process is ongoing in ICU units.

Alameh also stated that severely ill patients “are usually in old ages” and “it appears the dominant strain of the virus may be the English variant.”

The commander of the coronavirus response headquarters in Tehran metropolis, noting that for the first time in recent weeks the number of hospitalized patients has exceeded 5,000, said: “Almost all 22 districts of Tehran are infected.”

AliReza Zali cited Nowruz travel, reduced adherence to health protocols, and family gatherings as the main reasons for the surge in COVID-19.

Zali, while stating that “we have reached a homogeneous infection in Tehran that is concerning,” emphasized: “We have a bitter week ahead of us.”

Currently, 4,043 individuals with COVID-19 are hospitalized in regular wards and 1,172 people in special units of hospitals in Tehran province.

The commander of Tehran’s coronavirus response headquarters suggested that to prevent further spread of the virus, Tehran should be closed for two weeks. He emphasized that city closure is a temporary solution and not a definitive cure for the issue.

In Zali’s view, vaccination in Tehran and other provincial centers should be “the main priority for reducing mortality.”

However, the Islamic Republic faces financial and ideological problems with importing coronavirus vaccines.

Source: DW